


pirouette

by wikelia



Series: Superior [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, fluff with a little sexy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29228550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wikelia/pseuds/wikelia
Summary: Finding Levi dancing with Hange isn’t nearly as shocking as finding out why. The night of the gala is a strange one, but she wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Reader, Levi/Reader
Series: Superior [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2146140
Comments: 16
Kudos: 78





	pirouette

**Author's Note:**

> The title doesn’t entirely make sense given what a pirouette is, but I have artistic license. Have some softness after that last episode.
> 
> This takes place in the same AU as my other fic, Superior, but you certainly don’t have to read that to enjoy this (I hope you do anyways!). I think I’m gonna make a series out of this. As always, have fun reading!

Papers ruffle in her hands as she runs from the cafeteria, a slice of bread in her mouth. Along the way, she gets a few looks and some of the newer recruits ask if she needs any help, but she waves them off. The veterans know it’s pointless, and the most they provide is a sigh of exasperation or a look of understanding pity. She prefers the cadets’ approach, at least they’re being kind and not looking at her as though she’s either a lab experiment or an overworked maid. Well, she kind of is the latter and Levi is pretty damn sure she’s the former too, so the veterans aren’t wrong, but she doesn’t have to appreciate it.

Work like this is her air - if she’s not on an expedition, training, or running an errand for some higher-up, she’s doing paperwork that Levi is either too busy to get to or stuff he puts in the “fucking useless” list. Truthfully, she suspects he wants to put every single document into that pile, but he hates being idle nearly as much as she does, and so he still does some begrudgingly. However, the majority of the rather dull work falls to her, and she takes to it with relish, delighting in the fact that she can fake his signature and create details about things that never happened. For example, does Commander Erwin know that she saved five people in one fell swoop on their last excursion? Well, he certainly will once she drops this lovely piece of paper off!

Levi usually lets her get away with it (providing she doesn’t go over the top or imply that he’s too enamored by her beauty to do any titan-killing), but she’s still kind enough to let him skim the reports to confirm. With all her writing for the day done, she had shoved her last piece of bread in her mouth and sprinted towards his office. The sooner she submits these papers to the commander, the sooner she has free time to doll herself up for tonight.

She’s pretty sure the last time she got to dance was months ago, so a gala is a pretty big deal. Oh, she’s missed dancing so much, finding seedy bars and riling the drunk crowd up enough for them to encourage her and join in themselves. Of course, nothing can match the thrill of sneaking out during her cadet days, dragging along whoever would come, and having the absolute time of her life losing herself in the music. A _gala_ , a stuffy event where people attend to make connections and dance _nicely_ , is hardly her style, but dancing is dancing, and her jogging gets an extra spring as she thinks about pulling in some high class gentlemen and women and charming them with her moves. That’s what the gala is about, after all, playing nice. She’s done it before, and she can do it again.

There’s a single nice dress that she brought from home that should be enough for tonight. It’s a floor-length, figure-hugging black piece with an intricate white floral design along the right side, simple and sweet yet enticing. Originally, when she packed it, she thought it might come handy for nights when she just had to feel like a high-class citizen again. But while adapting to military life was tough, there was something honorable as wearing the same uniform as everyone else, and it made her feel like she belonged. So the dress is basically new, and tonight will be its’ debut.

As she gets closer to Levi’s office, she hears voices and stops, taking time to swallow the bread she’s been chewing. She straightens the papers in her hand and double checks to make sure they’re in the correct order and pats her uniform down for good measure. She takes a step, places a hand on the doorknob, and then hears Hange’s voice.

“You’re doing it _wrong!”_

“No I’m _not_ , you’re just going too fucking fast.”

“It’s okay, shorty, it’s not for everyone.”

Curiosity peaked, she opens the door in time to hear Levi say, “What do you think of _this,_ then?” before proceeding to dip Hange loosely, so that the woman is facing her upside down. 

Time seems to freeze as she takes in the bizarre sight. Levi’s hands are on Hange’s waist while hers are gripping his shoulders for dear life, and one of her legs is up in the air dramatically.

The pair of them immediately stop seeing her standing there, astonished at the sight. They’re dancing together. Captain Levi and Major Hange are dancing. Together. 

Levi’s eyes widen comically as he watches her, hands still around the major’s waist awkwardly. Hange, for her part, looks as though she’s just been caught stealing the commander’s horse. Both are panting, confirming that they’ve been at this for a while. None of them move. 

Until a small giggle escapes her mouth. Immediately, she clamps a hand over it - she’s not supposed to laugh, but the sight is so strange and ridiculous that it’s impossible not to. Snickering, she salutes, trying her best not to break in front of her two superiors. “I - I’ve finished the reports, sir.”

Levi finally lets go of Hange, who miraculously doesn’t fall, finding her balance on the heels of feet and bouncing back up as though falling was never an option. “(F/N)! Good to see you here!”

“Yes, this is where I spend most of my time, Major.” She tries her best not to smirk. 

“Don’t be cheeky,” Levi snaps, walking up to her. He’s actually sweaty, and she wonders exactly how long they’ve been doing this and what they’re doing and why in God’s name they’re doing it. Was this for the gala tonight? It must be, she can think of no reason that Levi would be taking _dancing_ lessons. She wonders who Erwin has told Levi to impress tonight. “Did you put anything stupid in?”

“I said Oluo started crying at one point,” she says with no remorse for her crewmate.

“Realistic enough. Go hand them off to the commander, you’re dismissed for the day.” He walks back to Hange, stopping when he realizes she hasn’t left in the two seconds since he ordered her to. He turns around, raising a brow. “Oi, are you deaf or something?”

“Just wondering if you needed a towel, sir.”

Levi hisses like a cat. “I said don’t be cheeky, (L/N). _Dismissed_.”

Exchanging a glance with Major Hange, who’s hiding a smile of her own, she salutes again, and then turns and exits the room. Outside the door, she waits a few seconds, but she’s fully aware Levi will wait two minutes before saying anything, he knows her too well. Normally, she’s willing to hold out and try her hand, but she really, really needs to get ready. Not to mention Erwin kind of dislikes her anyway and it’s best not to make him wait for the precious paperwork, even if it is Levi’s responsibility, not her’s.

So she brushes aside her questions and skips to the commander’s office, drops the papers off and then heads to the female barracks, digging the dress out of the bottom of the trunk under her bed. She has about two hours to get ready, which would be more than enough time normally, but there’s a certain delight that comes with taking time to prepare for an event like this. To give it her all, like she does with every aspect of her life.

Once she’s cleaned up and put on the dress, she spins experimentally. The dress doesn’t give quite a satisfying _swish_ like some of her fancier ones back home, but she’s not supposed to be swishing tonight anyway, she’s just supposed to look pretty, smile and flutter her lashes to beg richer men than her to give money to the Survey Corp. It works for what she needs it for. After pinning half her hair up and painting her face a little, she’s ready.

“Damn,” a voice comes from the door, “you look _good,_ (L/N).”

Ricky, one of her best friends from her training days, is leaning against the doorway, dressed up in a suit and eyeing her appreciatively. She smiles brightly, holding her arms to the sides. 

“How much funding do you think I’m getting tonight?”

“More than I’ll ever see in my lifetime, I’ll tell you that much.” He offers his arm and she takes it, closing the door behind her. “So what, you too busy to play our game tonight?”

Their game is pretty simple. In simple terms it’s hide and seek, except they hide in plain sight, using their surroundings to their advantage. The game started back when they would practice with their ODM gear in the forest, and they’d continued playing well into joining the Scouts, especially on boring days. The base is large enough to have plenty of spots to hide, which makes it fairly easy for whoever is hiding - it could take the whole day to find them. It’s always the most fun at galas like these, though, when they have to hide by acting high and mighty, like proper citizens of society. She loves playing, and hates to let Ricky down, so she tries to compromise.

“Maybe later in the night? I have to talk and dance with people Captain Levi doesn’t want to talk to because they’re beneath him - his words,” she adds quickly because Ricky is giving her that face that says “are you one hundred percent sure this is a healthy superior-subordinate relationship you share” and she doesn’t need him getting the wrong idea and thinking that her and Levi are dating. Which, granted, they are, but it’s still a private thing and she likes it that way. 

“He’s got a bit of a superiority complex, doesn’t he?”

“A bit,” she says fondly. As much as she loves Ricky dearly, she can’t help imagining her captain escorting her to a dance, her arm looped around his and a haughty expression on her face as she walks in triumphantly telling those high-class ladies that are eyeing him to _suck it_.

Maybe not in those exact words, but something close. 

Again, she thinks about Levi dancing with Hange earlier, and for the love of God, she can’t imagine what possessed him. She can’t even imagine the conversation that led to it, can’t fathom Levi walking to Hange’s office and asking in that cranky way of his if she can teach him to dance. The strangest thing is that she’s pretty damn certain Levi can dance well enough, since he’s attended these before, and she’s seen him. He’s not a _great_ dancer, but he’s not bad enough to warrant lessons.

“God, you’d think after all the shit he put you through during training, he’d cut you a little slack now.” Ricky glances at her as they walk. “I don’t know how you put up with it, with no reward.”

Oh, there’s a reward, but he wouldn’t understand. She simply hums, shrugging.

“He’s Humanity’s Strongest, right? Maybe someone needs to cut him some slack for once too.”

Ricky scoffs, but he doesn’t push the matter further. They arrive at the ballroom that’s mostly unused, but looks magnificent for every occasion. Bright lights decorate the room in a dizzy glow, radiating everyone in the room and making them look a hundred times more gorgeous than they already look in their fancy clothes and expensive jewelry. 

Speaking of jewelry, her hand flies to her neck and she realizes the necklace she planned to wear is missing. Dammit, she’d brought it to Levi’s room last night, excitedly telling him about how the silver would match his eyes (he hadn’t seemed as thrilled about this as she was). She’d left it behind this morning. Oh well, she could make do without a necklace, but it had been pretty and she wished she’d been a bit more focused on it instead of on stealing one last kiss.

Her eyes scan the room and she finds Levi talking to some important looking man, looking more miserable than usual. She disguises her laugh as a cough. “Duty calls, Ricky. I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah, sure. Knock ‘em out, twerp.”

She makes her way through the crowd and as she gets closer she’s able to appreciate Levi’s appearance more. He always cleans up nice, but without that stupid cravat that she despises and a proper tie, he looks just sharp enough for her to want to swoon right into his arms. Of course, that’d be completely unprofessional, but maybe he should consider that it’s unprofessional to look that good.

Levi sees her and doesn’t even look back for a second glance. Ass.

She steps up to his side, smiling a charming, million dollar smile. “Pardon my interruption, gentlemen. I was just looking for a dance partner. The party’s started and I’m already feeling a bit lonely.”

Maybe she’s slathering the butter on too thick, but it works nonetheless. The man insists that the captain needn’t worry, that he’ll keep the lady company, and he escorts her to the dance floor, falling into an easy pace with her. She starts talking, singing praise for Commander Erwin and gently implying that the Scouts are ridiculously underfunded, so they need money if they’re to have any chance of surviving. She ends her plea with a tinkling laugh, one that communicates zero pressure. It’s _his_ choice, and she’s loved dancing with him, and has she mentioned that his tie makes him look extremely dashing? 

He’s already bent to her will, she thinks triumphantly as their dance ends. She curtsies unnecessarily and turns away, already looking for her next victim. 

About eight dances later, she excuses herself to get a drink. It’s probably not attractive, the way she’s guzzling down the glass of water, but damn is she tired of kissing ass. Her throat is parched, and she’s especially tired of praising her own regiment, they’re not that great. She needs to refresh, and then she’ll be willing to go back into the fray.

Petra walks over to her, giggling. “If you don’t slow down, you’ll kill yourself.”

“Someone’s gotta suck up to them.” She flashes a wry grin. “How many have you pulled?”

“Three for sure, two as a maybe.” Petra sighs, taking a glass for herself. “I think we’re working much harder than those two.” She points to where Gunther and Oluo are downing a glance of wine, clearly cheering each other on.

“Disgraceful.”

“Embarrassing.”

“Shameless,” she finishes, setting her glass down. “You wanna get their heads back in the game? Take a break afterwards, dance with someone you actually like.” She wisely doesn’t suggest Oluo - defensive Petra is not what they need tonight. “Or find a nice place to sit and actually eat some food.”

Petra’s eyes shine in gratitude. “Really? Thanks, (F/N). But are you sure? There’s still lots of ravenous wallets left.”

“I can handle it. Besides, Captain Levi will probably get on my case if I take too long of a vacation from the dance floor.” She smiles. “It’s fine, I enjoy doing this.”

“God knows how. But I’m not complaining. Uh…” She hesitates, biting her lip. “Permission to use excessive force on those two, Lieutenant?”

“Granted. Just be discrete.” Serves them right for drinking on the job while she and Petra are working their asses off. She notices that even Levi hasn’t danced once tonight. _What were the lessons for, then?_ Some new titan-killing technique she wasn’t privy to yet? 

After Petra leaves, she finishes her water and makes her way to a group of women sitting at a table. With a gasp, she kneels down next to one of them. “Excuse my abruptness, but I absolutely adore your earrings! Wherever did you get them?”

“Oh!” The woman blushes, waving a hand as though she’s never expected someone to actually notice what she’s wearing. “I actually had these personally crafted. You know these merchants in Sina, they go on and on about quality, but in reality, all of their jewelry is…”

She goes on and on and (F/N)’s experience dealing with women like this since childhood keeps her from making any sarcastic comments. Instead, she nods and gasps appropriately, continuing to give her undivided attention to the woman. She is, after all, the one in the fanciest clothing. After hearing her story, she smiles and thanks her for the information (as though she’s going to actually use it), but adds solemnly that her commission just isn’t enough to afford such pretty things. The Scouts can barely afford the ODM gear as it is, and her hooks and swords aren’t exactly the most ladylike of accessories. The woman agrees vigorously, and all the other ladies at the table do as well to avoid going against the new status quo she’s now created.

A hand is placed on her shoulder. “Pardon me, ladies, mind if I steal Lieutenant (L/N) for a minute?”

“Hurry back!” the woman with the earrings chirps. “I haven’t even told you about my bracelet!”

“Of course.” She smiles brightly, turning and walking away from them. Once she’s a good few feet away, she brings her fist to her chest and salutes. “Commander Pyxis. It’s good to see you, sir.”

“Hm, I have to say, I’d hoped one day you’d be here trying to get money for the Garrison.” Pyxis chuckles, shaking his head. “But I suppose all the best go to the Scouts one way or the other. And by the looks of it, you’re doing good work for them.” He raises a brow. “But Erwin doesn’t have much to say about you. Any idea why?”

“I haven’t the faintest clue, sir.” She does have a _slight_ idea as to why, but revealing that would be more information than she cares to share with Pyxis. 

“Still, even he had to admit you were doing a good job out there.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Pyxis looks at something behind her and something akin to understanding dawns in his eyes. He chuckles again, and shaking his head, he offers his hand. “Would you give your old commander the honor of a dance?”

She glances at the ladies who don’t seem to need her back just yet, and so she agrees readily, taking his hand and falling into step. She’s missed the man, with his jovial presence and strange takes on every little matter. Once she asked him why he chose to join the military, and he responded that he thought the uniforms matched his skin tone. She supposed that was a fair reason.

“How many people have you danced with already?” he asks.

“You’re the ninth, sir.” She lets him lead her more towards the middle. “I’m sure you’ve charmed some people yourself tonight.”

“Benefits of having a silver tongue.” His eyes twinkle humorously. “As you know fully well. Erwin’s good for it too. Your captain, on the other hand…”

“He can be charming when he wants to,” she insists without real conviction. The problem is Levi never really wants to. “You know, he’s pretty soft on the cadets and new recruits unless they do something to piss him off.”

Pyxis gives her a dubious look. “If I recall correctly, you were one of the ones who he wasn’t so fond of.”

That’s only slightly true. Sure, they’d had their issues when she started training, but she insists that’s because Levi had fallen in love with her at first sight and was only trying to suppress his emotions. For some reason, he always declines this notion and counters that the reason he’d disliked her was because she was “a fucking nuisance.” It’s hard to believe him when he’s whispering these things towering above her in his bed, though.

“I just happened to catch his attention,” she says with a shrug.

“I’m sure you did. And continue to, because he hasn’t stopped looking in this direction even once.” Pyxis gestures behind her and with a confused frown, she turns to see Levi watching them intently, eyes darker than normal. She raises a brow, asking what the matter is. Has she forgotten to do something today? She double checks everything, but people make mistakes. 

Levi continues to stare at her for a few seconds, then reaches into one of the pockets in his suit, taking out her forgotten silver necklace and dangling it up like a prize as an invitation for her to come take it. She gasps, rewarding him with a dazzling smile before turning back to Pyxis. “Commander, I have to - “

“You’ve been summoned. Yes, I see.” He gives her an appraising look. “Have you considered Erwin perhaps doesn’t like you because you distract Humanity’s Strongest Soldier?”

Her eyes widen. Damn it all, Pyxis is too clever for his own good.

“Don’t worry, Lieutenant,” he says, amused. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

She salutes apprehensively, but he waves her off, chortling to himself as he turns away. Well, that’s her shortest dance of the night finished. She looks back at Levi, still holding the necklace as he leans against the wall and watches her shamelessly. The middle of the ballroom isn’t ridiculously far from the wall he’s settled against, but it suddenly seems like miles are between them. She starts walking -

Only to get interrupted by one of the men she danced with earlier, asking if she’d like to go again. Mustering the politest smile she’s capable of, she declines, eyes locked with Levi. He looks both impatient and as though he’s enjoying her haste, almost as if she’s the one waiting for him and not the other way around. He starts wrapping the necklace around his fingers lazily, a small smirk playing on his lips.

Brushing the man off, she continues her trek, swerving as to not bump into people. Fuck, all the dancing she’s done tonight and now she starts losing her balance? Figures. Levi seems all the more amused at this show, and she doesn’t know when he suddenly started looking at her with such a... _smoldering_ expression. A pleasant heat burns her cheeks. She quickens her pace, and finally, _finally_ , she’s outside of the crowd. He’s so close, just a few more steps and -

Someone blocks her vision. She looks up to see Ricky, grinning proudly. “Found you!”

Goddammit, she is _not_ playing right now.

But she can’t say that to him, it’d be too mean and this is one of her best friends. She looks up and gives him a tight smile. “Took you a good hour, right? Point for me.”

“Yeah, yeah. Come on, let’s dance.” 

Before she can protest, he has her sweeped in his arms, laughing as he balances her weight against his own. She laughs too, but it sounds faker than every single fucking giggle she’s let out in the past hour. Straining to look over Ricky’s shoulder, she realizes Levi is no longer in the same position and she’s lost her visual on the target. She turns her head this way and that as she and Ricky dance, but he’s nowhere to be found. Well, shit.

At the very least, dancing with Ricky is fun, but Levi’s gaze is burned into her memory now, not to mention he has her necklace, which could definitely provide a new talking point with the high society ladies. That’s a bit low on her priority list now though, first she has to figure out just what’s making her captain act so weird today.

“Who are you looking for?” Ricky asks with a raised brow after the third time she looks over his shoulder.

“The captain.” She tries looking near where Erwin is standing, but Levi is nowhere in sight. He might be short, but he shouldn’t be able just to vanish. “Do you see him?”

“If I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”

She gives him a Look and Ricky grins, shaking his head and grabbing her hands. He outstretches his arms to start spinning her around. She laughs loudly, but in their created chaos, she missteps and stumbles.

“Shit! (F/N)!”

Spinning out of control, she shuts her eyes tightly. Her feet lose control and she brings her hands up to her face to shield from the inevitable crash.

Before she can trip, though, she’s caught in someone’s arms, landing face first against their chest. 

“Well,” Levi drawls, giving Ricky an icy look, “I was about to cut in anyway. Thanks for that.”

Ricky salutes, stuttering an apology for letting their dancing get out of control. Meanwhile, she’s too mortified to even look at Levi. This must be his revenge for her snark earlier that day. She’s embarrassed that he had to catch her, but a thrill goes up her spine thinking of the way he was looking at her earlier. He’s clutching her tightly as he dismisses Ricky, and then turns his head down to look at her, face still planted against his chest. 

“You plan to stay there all night?”

Levi might not like it if she answers in the affirmative, so she straightens up, coughing into her fist and looking as bashful as she can. “I apologize, sir. It wasn’t Ricky’s fault. I overestimated my ability.”

“Mm. Seems you get distracted around him.”

From the gleam in his eyes, she knows that _he_ knows damn well it wasn’t Ricky who distracted her.

She places her hand in his. “Can I have my necklace now?”

“Why should I give it to you?” His hand is suddenly on her back and he’s tugging her just a little closer, raising their joint hands. “You haven’t danced with me yet.”

Her eyes widen in excitement and her breath hitches, hardly daring to believe what’s happening. “But...we never dance together at these things.”

He steps forward, forcing her to step back to match him. “I can’t tell you how less of a shit I give, (L/N).”

“This is a _bold move_ , Captain,” she says, eyes twinkling mischievously, “are you sure you can handle it?”

Levi raises a brow and her stomach explodes in butterflies as he pulls her even closer and begins moving, matching her dare with his own. He never breaks his gaze from her, not for a single second. Soon enough, they’re gliding, dancing like she’s been doing all night, but this - oh, this is deliciously different. 

They’re not talking, for one thing. Instead she’s focusing on everything about him, from his footwork which matches hers perfectly to his damn hand pressed against her back, making it impossible for her to move away. And she’s not going to look down, because this is her in her own element, and Captain Levi has something else coming if he thinks his newfound skills are going to make her fumble. She matches his every stride, letting him lead but never going slack, all the while ignoring how fast her heart is beating.

His hand makes it’s way slightly downwards to her lower back and she makes an affronted noise. “That’s lower than I allowed anyone else tonight, sir.”

“Different rules for me,” he claims, expression cocky, “stop moving if you don’t like it.”

“So is this why you were with Major Hange?” She smirks at the way his eyes narrow. “You were taking lessons just so you could dance with your favorite girl?”

Levi scoffs. “What makes you think you’re my favorite?” 

With no hesitation, he’s pushing her back rapidly. Her heels click sharply against the floor as she moves back, gripping his hand tightly to keep from falling. “You’re getting overly confident, Lieutenant.”

“Y-yeah?” She’s not giving up so easily. “Then why were you dancing with her? And what are you doing with me now?”

He doesn’t answer her. Instead, he raises his hand and without any warning, twirls her under his arm, once, twice, thrice. He keeps going, still stepping forward, until the room is spinning. She can barely see what’s in front of her, now solely focused on not falling. Her feet are moving on their own, back and back, one around the other. His hand is the only thing keeping her on her them as he continues to spin her like a top, moving through the crowd who part for them. 

She’s panicking, the floor disappearing under her. There’s nothing in the room anymore except Levi, who is very clearly in control of this dance and doesn’t plan to stop. No one will help her. Her only option now is to plead for mercy.

“Levi -” she gasps, breathless.

“ _Captain,_ ” he reminds her harshly, they’re in public. “Good run, (L/N).”

With that, he releases her hand, and she loses her step. With a small cry, she stumbles back, reaching out to grab onto his shoulders. In a flash, he’s catching her right before she hits the ground, arms snaking around her waist as she wraps hers around his neck in panic. 

There’s no sound at all for a second. She breathes heavily, chest heaving.

And then people start applauding. She realizes with a start that it looks like Levi has just dipped her perfectly, rather than dropping and then catching her. That _sneak_ , he knew it wouldn’t work after it turned out so awkwardly with Hange, so he brought a whole new approach with her. Work her up so much that she trips over her own feet, and then catch her smoothly like it was all planned. Which, for him, it was.

“That was a dirty move.” She glares up at him, still in the same position, and his lips quirk.

“So you won’t ever dance with me again?”

“Oh, I will.” He brings her to her feet, but she keeps one hand on his shoulder, still shaky. “But not tonight. I think I’m done.”

Levi’s expression softens. “Do you want to leave?”

She smiles wryly - it’s amazing how he can go from her superior who’s hellbent on showing her that she’s not hot shit to her lover (boyfriend?) who’s concerned for her wellbeing. 

“I can’t. I promised some women I’d come back to talk to them, and I told Ricky him and I would play our game later. It’s kind of tradition at this point.”

“Those women will survive just fine without you. And you two can play your shitty game some other time, when you actually want to.”

“What if I want to right now?”

Levi places his hands on her shoulders and turns her around, facing the crowd that has begun to intermingle again. “You want to play a game? Let’s play my favorite. It’s called ‘come up with the most accurate sounding guess about these rich assholes.’” He leans in behind her so he’s murmuring in her ear. “Mullet over there definitely has a drinking problem. He’s having three separate affairs too.” He turns her again. “And Tree Dress is worried that all her friends hate her, and she’s right. They do, because she overshares about her every single problem.” Another turn, and then he whispers, “Your turn.”

She’s trying her best not to break out into giggles. Keeping her composure, she nods seriously, clicking her tongue. “The Mustachioed Wonder by the punch table? He’s scared he’s going to be an unfit parent, so he plans to divorce his wife before she gives birth.”

Levi lets out a laugh and she can’t help herself, she does too. They must look so suspicious, she thinks, focusing on random individual people like this and laughing to themselves. But looking at the crowd like this brings to light how stupid this entire thing is, and as much as she doesn’t want to admit it, she likes this game purely because it’s such a Levi-esque pastime.

“I still have commitments, Captain.”

Still speaking in a low tone near her ear (probably because he knows it makes her shiver), he responds. “So many people vying for your attention. And you’re gonna choose them over me?”

She thinks about it. How many nights does she get to dance, to dress up all pretty and charm people with old and new friends? It’d be a waste to leave early.

But then, how many nights does she get with Levi so sweetly asking for her _attention?_

“Alright,” she breathes, “let’s go.”

They’re not five feet out of the ballroom when her legs start aching, the night catching up to her. She’s drained, goddammit, and her heels aren’t helping. She raises a hand motioning for Levi to wait, and leans against the wall, catching her breath.

“My feet are killing me,” she complains pitifully. Levi rolls his eyes, but without much hesitation, drops to his knees and takes one of her feet in his hands, taking off her heel. She watches him with rapt attention, adoration pulsing inside her. This. This is the reward that Ricky would never understand. Her captain, lowering himself to the floor to take off her shoes just because of a single complaint.

He hands her the heels and stands up, turning his back to her. “Get on.”

She gasps in delight. “ _Really?”_

“Really. You did good work tonight, (F/N), now take a break. Come on, my office isn’t that far.”

Slowly, she hikes herself up on his back, clutching his shirt with one hand and holding her shoes with the other. Levi grabs onto her legs, wrapping them around his waist. He’s giving her a piggyback ride, and she thinks she’s died and gone to heaven, or maybe Hange’s drugged him.

Whatever the reason is, she buries her face in his neck and smiles against his skin. “Thank you.”

She can practically hear him roll his eyes. “You’re welcome, minx.”

He’s always so warm, somehow, and there’s no better comfort than hiding away from the world with him, tucked away into his chest knowing that he loves her even if he won’t say it. Truthfully, it doesn’t matter how many people were asking for her attention in the ballroom. Levi trumps the entire stupid gala, and she would choose him a hundred times over.

He carries her to his office and she hops down, legs still aching a little. On his desk, she spots a few piles of paper and gasps. “ _Le-_ vi!”

“What now?”

She hurries over to his desk and picks up the unfinished reports. “I thought you completed these! The commander’s gonna have my head, God.” Sitting on his desk, she grabs the pen and gets to work, scribbling details that seem hazy now.

Levi watches her impassively. “No wonder your handwriting is so shitty. You hold pens so fucking weirdly.”

“Says the one who wields swords backwards,” she responds without a beat, getting into her comfortable paperwork zone, “You have no room to talk.”

Not a single page is completed before he’s standing right in front of her, taking both the sheets and the pen from her hands and tossing them on the desk carelessly. He steps in between her legs as she gives him her best stern look. The paperwork is important. He knows that.

He leans in enough for her to focus on his eyes, unusually fond but with their usual tint of exasperation. Cupping her chin, he orders, “You’re not gonna think about the reports, or the gala, or your dumbass friend and his stupid fucking game. Right now…” He trails off, gaze dropping down to her lips. “I am the _only_ thing you should be focused on.”

Well, if he _insists._

She captures his lips hungrily, digging her fingers into the collar of his shirt and pulling him close. In turn, Levi cups her face and tilts her chin up to get a better angle. He steps even closer than he was before, and she laments that her dress is too tight to wrap her legs around him. To make up for it, she swipes her tongue over his lower lip and then opens her mouth invitingly. His tongue slips in with no further encouragement and now he’s overwhelming her senses just like he did back in the ballroom, exploring her mouth at his own pace, which is just slow enough to drive her crazy. 

The difference between this and their little show during the gala is that this is a private affair. That, and this time around, she has no intention of letting him keep his precious control.

With one hand, she snakes her hand into his hair and tugs it hard enough for Levi to groan needily against her mouth, and just as his hands dropped down to her hips to squeeze them gently, she pulls back, smirking at the way his lips follow hers for a second.

“ _Minx_ ,” he accuses, eyes narrowing.

“Consider that revenge for embarrassing me in front of everyone.”

Levi presses a hot kiss to her cheek. “Don’t worry, I think only half the room noticed.”

“Nonethe _less_ ,” she insists, holding a hand up to keep him at bay, “If we keep going, you’re gonna make me want to spend the night. And if I recall correctly…” She jabs her finger in his chest accusingly. “It was _your_ rule that we limit ourselves to once a week.”

He looks at her disbelievingly. “Figures this is the one time you care about the rules.”

She gives him a winning smile, but unfortunately Levi is the one person who it doesn’t work on. Without having the courtesy to step back and let her reclaim her senses since she’s practically drowning in him, he fishes her precious necklace out of his pocket and holds it just out of reach when she reaches for it.

“That’s rightfully mine, you know.”

“Should’ve thought about that when you left it here this morning. Oh _wait_ ,” he says mockingly, “you were too busy begging for a _last kiss_.”

She scowls - begging is a bit of an overstatement. Early in the morning, Levi usually doesn’t need much persuasion, and he’s more than willing to let her climb on top of him and run her hands across his bare skin and kiss him slowly to prolong the time they have together. It’s just that sometimes she has to plead or whine a little because he has a thing for her putting her pride on hold for his sake. She’s not kinkshaming him or anything, God knows she _enjoys_ it, but it’s slightly unfair of him to tease her about begging when he’s the one who gets off on it.

“Which you gave me. And now you can give me that. Or I’ll write you up.”

He laughs, a sight and sound that she’s never going to get tired of in her life, it’s just too rare for her not to appreciate it each time. Not a chuckle, or an amused scoff, but a real laugh reserved for her enjoyment alone. Levi’s beautiful when he laughs - his relaxed posture and once-in-a-blue-moon bright eyes make her heart stop. She doesn’t even realize her scowl has been replaced with a loving smile.

Still holding her necklace at bay, he kisses the corner of her lips. “Kiss me properly, and I’ll think about giving it back.”

Within the blink of an eye, she hops off his desk and wraps her arms around his neck. He wants a kiss? Then she’ll give him the best damn kiss he’s ever had.

Levi barely manages to grab hold of her waist before she’s pushing him back and kissing him searingly. He grunts as his back hits the wall, hands curling into her dress. “ _Fuck,_ ” he whispers on her lips, as if he didn’t just ask for this. This time he’s the one desperately tugging her closer, cornered into wanting something. Her eyes close and she bites down on his lip, eliciting a soft moan from him. 

Disconnecting from his mouth, she latches onto his neck next, trailing kisses down his neck and enjoying the way he swallows, his eyes closed and his mouth open as he lets out soft sighs. She traces his collarbone with her thumb softly right before sucking on that one spot that makes him release a broken gasp, fingers digging into her hips painfully. 

It’s only then she pulls back, smirking cruelly. “My necklace, please.”

He takes a few seconds to catch his breath, which is her mercy really, because God knows if the roles were switched he wouldn’t even let her have that. Shoulders sagging, he glares at her as she crosses her arms triumphantly.

“I think that was more than a proper kiss, Captain.”

Begrudgingly, he holds up the necklace, motioning for her to turn around. As he places it around her neck, she feels his breath on her nape, making the hairs there prickle.

“Levi,” he says, out of the blue, fiddling with the clasp, “don’t call me Captain when you don’t have to.”

“Only in bed, got it.”

He turns her back around slowly and admires his handwork. She raises her chin a little, showing off the jewelry proudly. Not only has her property been returned, but it’s a sign of her triumph.

“Pretty,” he finally decides, tucking her hair behind her ear, “I’m glad you weren’t wearing it before or I never would have gotten you out.”

She takes his hands and places them on her waist where they belong. “Maybe if I had, you would have actually taken a good look at me.”

Levi’s eyes flash. “Did you want me to look at you?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me next time.” He cups her cheek with one hand, tilting her head to the side to plant feathery kisses from her jaw down to her shoulder. “Because it took all of my strength to keep my eyes off you tonight.”

She sighs, tilting her head back. “Levi.”

“Mm?”

“You wanna break out that bottle of wine I stashed under your bed?”

This stops him in his tracks and he stands up straight to glare at her menacingly. “You stashed what under where?”

“Come on,” she chirps, pulling away from him to skip towards his room (as best as she can skip in this dress, that is). “Get the glasses, the nice ones you keep around here somewhere.”

“I’ve told you not to stash your shit here.” Despite his complaints, he follows her into the room connected to his office, leaning down next to a drawer and taking out two wine glasses. 

“It’s not _my_ shit.” She retrieves the bottle of wine from under his bed, shaking it tantalizingly at her captain. “It’s _our_ midnight adventure.”

“It’s not even midnight.”

She groans. “Let me have poetic license for once.”

“You’re a fucking menace.”

They both sit on his bed and she pours the wine, bringing it up to her lips to sip it testingly. Oh, that’s the good stuff, no wonder it cost a damn fortune. Drinking in silence isn’t as uncomfortable as it might look to someone on the outside looking in. Everyone knows that the first glass should always be drunk silently, to savor it. They take savoring things very seriously.

After downing the first round, Levi refills for both of them, but instead of drinking, he nudges his nose against her shoulder, closing his eyes and breathing softly as he rests his head buried in her neck. She sets her drink down to run her fingers through his hair, placing a small kiss at the top of his head. “Sleepy already?”

“Not sleepy,” he murmurs, finding her hand to hold, “just tired.”

“Me too,” she says honestly. She squeezes his hand and presses her lips to his temple. “I think we’re overworked, baby.”

Levi snorts against her skin. “Yeah. Exactly why we shouldn’t be wasting tonight on some dumb gala.” He waits a few seconds, and then mutters something quickly.

“What was that?” Her brows furrow.

“I said, we can break the rules just this once.” He kisses her hand, holding it close to his chest. “Stay the night.”

In the name of all things holy, does he have any idea what he does to her when he asks her things like so sweetly and sincerely? Obviously, if they were just a normal couple, she’d spend every night in his room with no hesitation, but due to Levi being who he is, that dream just isn’t a possibility. Which means that she needs to take what she can get.

“Of course. It’s _your_ rule. I’m happy to break it whenever.” She grins cheekily.

“Of course you are.” He sets the bottle and glasses aside before gathering her up in his arms and pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck. 

It feels ridiculously good against her tense muscles. She lets her head fall to the front, letting him do as he pleases. Levi brushes her hair out of the way, murmuring appreciation for how she’s put it up. His lips connect with her ear and he blows on it gently before sucking on her earlobe.

“You’re damn beautiful,” he mutters, “so fucking pretty and all mine.”

She drops all tension, a pleased sigh coming out. For someone who isn’t considered to be a people pleaser, he can be really good with his words if he wants to. His thumb presses against her shoulder blade, rubbing it _right_ where it aches, all the while never halting his exploration of her neck. When he drags his tongue slowly behind her ear, she clenches her fists and releases a tortured gasp.

“You’re pent up,” he notes, and at her suggestive expression he rolls his eyes. “Not like _that_ , you minx. Not after last night, at least.” That’s true enough - Levi stays up till 3 AM and makes it her libido’s problem. “I mean your muscles are tense. Haven’t you been doing your drills?”

“I have. They’re not as much fun when you’re not with me.” That’s a blatant romantic lie, it’s absolute fucking hell to let Levi run her morning drills, she always ends up exhausted for the rest of the day. “I’ve just been running around a lot over the past week. Haven’t had much of a chance to unwind.”

“Why are you doing so much?” he demands. “This is exactly why I asked Hange for help - because I wanted you to have fun.” Of course his idea of fun is flustering her. “I thought we’d be able to dance a few times tonight, everyone else be damned. But even if no one else noticed, I did. You’re exhausted, (F/N). I asked you to be in my squad, not to be everyone’s handywoman. You don’t need to keep doing things for me.”

“But I _like_ doing things for you,” she coos, pressing her head back against his chest to listen to his heartbeat. “And I like being in the Scout Regiment. I want to help out where I can. I don’t want you to think I have any regrets.”

Levi doesn’t respond. He only sighs, still rubbing that aching spot on her back. She sits silently for a minute, until a smile creeps on her face as she realizes what he just admitted to.

“So dancing with Major Hange today _was_ for me,” she teases, “because you wanted to dance with me. Because you wanted to see me have fun. Because you love me.”

“Don’t get carried away,” he warns, but when she turns her head to look at him, his eyes confirm everything she’s said, even if he won’t say it. If he won’t say he loves her, she won’t say she loves him either. She understands the fear. He doesn’t need to say it, though, that look in his eyes conveys everything she needs to know.

An idea sparks in her head and she stands excitedly. “We can still dance, right here. Without my heels, of course.”

“There’s no music.” He looks at her amusedly, leaning forward.

In response, she starts humming the first tune that pops in her head, something peppy and upbeat. Moving her arms to her own beat, she beckons him up. Levi scoffs, but he takes her hands and spins her into his chest. With her back to him, she sways with more energy, but she can hear him chuckling, and he wraps his arms around her waist, content to dance like this. It feels just right.

Levi twirls her again, just once. He then proceeds to pick her up just a little, so that she’s resting her forehead on his, looking down into his eyes, which are so full of adoration that she just has to kiss him like this, cupping his face.

Yes, this is definitely better than the gala. In this moment, she swears everything is perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> If you’ve read any of my fics then I think you can tell dancing is one of my love languages. 
> 
> If you want a better experience, listen to Part Time Lover during that last bit, it’s what I listened to while writing. I also may or may not have listened to Shawn Mendes’ solo version of Senorita many many times for that first dance scene, and it may or may not have been what inspired this entire bit. I should really just make a Spotify playlist at this point.


End file.
